Add The New York Post on Google SAN DIEGO — If the Yankees are going to have success in the postseason — especially if they are going to meet the Red Sox in an American League wild card series — they are going to have to find a way to beat lefty starters.
Saturday was an encouraging day in that regard.
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Even without Aaron Judge, who may be just days away from making his long-awaited return to the lineup, the Yankees knocked left-hander Robbie Ray out of the game in the third inning on the way to a 5-1 win over the Padres at Petco Park.
Ray’s lack of command helped them out, offering four free passes, but the Yankees stayed patient and then attacked to race out to a 5-0 lead before hanging on late as Carlos Rodón and the bullpen combined for a three-hitter.
Ben Rice led the way, reaching base in all five of his plate appearances by going 3-for-3 with two walks while fellow lefty slugger Spencer Jones, in his homecoming series, roped a pair of hits off Ray on his first day as the full-time center fielder again after Trent Grisham landed on the injured list. And Cody Bellinger, the Yankees’ best left-on-left hitter, lived up to it by capping off a four-run second inning with a two-run single.
Setting up a rubber game on Sunday, with Gerrit Cole on the mound against former teammate Michael King, the Yankees (81-61) kept pace with the Rays and remained four games back for the division and 3 ¹/₂ games clear of the Red Sox for the top AL wild card with 20 games left.
After escaping some early trouble, Rodón settled in to toss five innings of one-run ball – the first time he has completed five innings in four starts back from the injured list. The left-hander walked three but struck out seven, his most in a game since June 17.
Ben Rice celebrates after hitting a single during the second inning of the Yankees’ 5-1 win over the Padres on Sept. 5, 2026 at Petco Field in San Diego. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Yankees wasted chances to fully blow the game open, stranding 12 men on base, but Michael Fulmer, Brent Headrick, John Schreiber and Tim Hill combined to keep the Padres (74-68) at bay in relief of Rodón.
A day after mustering just one run through nine innings on the way to a 3-2 loss in 10 innings, the Yankees did not waste much time getting going on Saturday.
Rice led off the second inning by lining a single to right field, then took second on George Lombard Jr.’s dribbler. Jones came up with two outs and ignited the rally with a double ripped to right field for the 1-0 lead.
Carlos Rodón yells after recording the last out during the fourth inning of the Yankees’ win over the Padres. AP Photo/Gregory Bull José Caballero, Austin Wells and Paul Goldschmidt followed by each drawing walks on full counts, the last one forcing in a run to make it 2-0.
Bellinger then came through with another left-on-left single, driving in two more runs to put the Yankees ahead 4-0.
Ray finally escaped the inning before any more damage was done, though not before the Yankees forced him to throw 42 pitches in the frame.
Rice led off again in the third inning and drew a walk before taking off on a hit-and-run with Heliot Ramos, who singled to put runners on the corners. Lombard then cashed in a run by hitting a sacrifice fly to the warning track, scoring Rice for the 5-0 lead.
Jones’ second hit in as many at-bats against Ray knocked him out of the game after just 2 ¹/₃ innings and 68 pitches.
Right-hander Griffin Canning relieved him and went on to load the bases before getting out of it with a double play.
The Yankees later had runners on first and second with no outs in the fifth, the bases loaded with two outs in the sixth and runners on first and second with no outs in the seventh, but could not convert on any of them.
Despite having some long waits between innings, Rodón remained sharp, retiring eight straight through the third inning before Manny Machado took him deep to lead off the bottom of the fourth. It was not exactly a mistake pitch by Rodón — a fastball in off the plate — but Machado turned on it to put the Padres on the board, 5-1.
